Millikin University Sweeps by Baseball, 14-3 and 8-2

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Elms College baseball team was swept by Millikin University, 14-3 and 8-2 on Thursday during the Blazers' final day of Gene Cusic Classic action in Fort Myers, Fla.

With the losses, Elms moves to 2-7 on the season.

In the opening contest, Millikin took an early 1-0 lead on an RBI double by Lucas Stefan (Champaign, Ill.) in the bottom of the second before Elms' junior third baseman Geoff Frost (Ludlow, Mass.) belted a solo home run to even the game at 1-1 in the top of the third.

Big Blue answered with a run in the bottom of the third and then pushed across six in the fourth and four in the home half of the fifth to stake a 12-1 lead.

The Blazers got a run back in the top of the sixth when junior catcher Kevin Dwire (Ellington, Conn.) singled in senior designated hitter Alex King (Lebanon, Conn.) to make the score 12-2.

Millikin posted two runs in the bottom of the eighth before Elms' junior center fielder Brady Forrest (Hampden, Mass.) drove in sophomore second baseman Aedin Wadja (Lebanon, Conn.) to set the final score at 14-3.

Elms' senior starter Curtis LeBeau (Auburn, Mass.) pitched four innings and suffered the loss. He struck out one and walked five. Junior reliever Sean Sinnott (Granby, Conn.) pitched three innings and struck out two, while sophomore reliever Brian Langdon (Beacon Falls, Conn.) also struck out two in one frame of work.

Sean Beal (Decatur, Ill.) pitched 5.1 innings and struck out seven batters to earn the victory, while Adam Carlisle (Decatur, Ill.) tossed 3.2 stanzas to secure the save and fanned two hitters in the process.

Forrest was 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles in game one, while King had two hits.

Andrew Hendrian (Decatur, Ill.) was 3 for 3 at the plate, while five players had two hits each in the winning effort.

In game two, Millikin plated three runs in the top of the first on the strength of a run-scoring triple off the bat of Hendrian and an RBI double by Keith Askins (Decatur, Ill.) to give Big Blue a 3-0 lead.

Elms answered with a pair in the home half of the first frame when Forrest scored on a double-play groundout. Sophomore shortstop Nolan Medeiros (Taunton, Mass.) then crossed the dish when senior Zach Dreher (Naugatuck, Conn.) connected for an RBI base hit. 

Millikin extended its lead to 6-2 in the top of the third when Askins cracked a two-run single and Michael Tague (Decatur, Ill.) drove in a run with a base hit.

A two-run two-bagger by Joey DiLeo (Manteno, Ill.) lifted Big Blue's advantage to 8-2 in the top of the fifth as Millikin kept the Blazers off the board for six straight innings.

Dreher had two of Elms' five hits in the game, while senior pitcher Derek Leal (Charlton, Mass.) pitched all seven innings and suffered the loss. He allowed eight runs (three earned) on seven hits, walked three and struck out one. Senior Sam Farnsworth (Westfield, Mass.) added a double in the losing effort. 

Nik Duffle (Hindsboro, Ill.) picked up the win for Big Blue with 1.1 innings of relief work. Askins and Hendrian each collected two hits for Millikin. 

Elms returns to action on Tuesday, March 18 when it travels to Daniel Webster College for its New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) opener. Double-header action with the Eagles is set to begin at 2:00 p.m.